US incentive auction results

T-Mobile, Dish Network, Comcast and AT&T were among the biggest winners of the FCC’s historic incentive auction of wireless airwaves, reports the Washington Post. “The auction will transfer a significant amount of spectrum from TV stations to companies in other industries eager to build out wireless data networks. For consumers, the results may mean bigger internet pipes or a faster experience.” T-Mobile spent the most out of all the bidders, $8 billion, which enabled the company to walk away with new spectrum in virtually every US market. “To make the auction work, as many as 175 broadcast television stations agreed to give up their place on the airwaves in exchange for a payout. Over the coming months, the vast majority of those stations will be moved to a different spot on the airwaves, with most sharing a channel with another station. Just 12 stations will go off the air entirely, meaning their programming will vanish from viewers' television screens rather than show up on a different channel.” The television station to win the largest payout is WWTO, a Chicago-based station that will receive $304 million. Read more.